The Intertestamental Period: Background for the New Testament

Introduction to the Intertestamental Period

The period between the Old and New Testaments in the Bible is known as the Intertestamental Period, during which various historical developments and influences set the stage for the events described in the New Testament. It is by understanding this background that the Bible reader can more clearly understand the nature of events and the work of Christ in the New Testament. The Intertestamental Period ranged more or less from the Greek Period under the rule of Alexander the Great to the reign of Herod the Great and the rulership of his sons. It is roughly equivalent to the Second Temple period, ranging from 516 B.C. to 170 A.D. (Jones, n.d.). These events can be examined for clearer information about the background and social context of the New Testament.

Hellenism and the Greek Influence on Judea

The first significant event, from the viewpoint of the Jews, during the Greek Period was the Greek conquest of the Persian Empire, including Judea, in 334 B.C. (Satterfield, n.d.). This is important for understanding the world of the New Testament, since Greek culture dominated the area during that time, even though the Romans held political rule. Alexander believed in the superiority of Greek culture but was not averse to the integration of other cultures. His ideal was that the world should be seen as a single city, with all people as its inhabitants, united under Greek culture and ideals (Satterfield, n.d.). Because of this adherence to the Greek ideal, Hellenism was aggressively promoted by both Alexander and his successors. Under this paradigm, the Greek city was ruled by its citizens. The marketplace was at the center of the city, where goods were sold and ideas promoted by both philosophers and religious missionaries.

This setup was important for the coming of Christ, as it meant that first John the Baptist and then Jesus could promote their ideas publicly in the marketplace. Other features of the Greek city included theaters and gymnasiums, where social gatherings took place around plays and sporting events. Temples also formed an important part of the Greek city, since there was no division between civic and religious life, and it was considered a civic duty to worship the city's deities. Alexander and his successors thus used the Greek city as an instrument for the spread of Hellenism throughout the conquered world.

According to Jones (n.d.), the Greek language was especially important in terms of the New Testament and the spread of the Gospel after Christ's life. Even when the Roman Empire took over rule of the world, Greek remained the common world language. Although official business of the Roman Empire was conducted in Latin, Greek served as the lingua franca for several centuries. Consequently, the two centuries preceding the birth of Christ saw the Greek translation of the Old Testament, and the New Testament was originally written in Greek. This ultimately meant that the Gospel could be spread throughout the world with few language barriers. Some scholars even claim that Christ delivered his teachings in both Greek and Aramaic in order to reach a wider audience. Indeed, Battle (n.d.) notes that, while most Jews developed Aramaic as their national language, most also learned to speak Greek during the Hellenization of the region. When Christ was alive, most Jews could speak Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek, as well as some Latin.

What Hellenization meant for Jerusalem was a significant transformation of the city. In 198 B.C., Palestine, including Judea, was conquered by Antiochus III, a Seleucid king, which accelerated the process of Hellenization in Jerusalem. As a result, Jerusalem was transformed from a temple-state to a Greek city-state governed by the Sanhedrin, its ruling council. A gymnasium was also established in the city. These developments, in turn, produced a clear division among the Jews: the rich aristocracy favored Hellenism, while others opposed it in favor of the Law of Moses.

The Maccabean Revolt and Jewish Sects

The Maccabean Revolt occurred when Antiochus Epiphanes forbade Jewish rituals in the temple of Jerusalem and placed an altar to Zeus in the temple instead. The revolt was led by the Hasidim, a group devoted to the Law of Moses, under the leadership of Judas Maccabaeus, for whom the revolt was named. After a war lasting several years, Jerusalem was freed from Seleucid control and the temple was rededicated. The yearly celebration of this rededication was known as the Feast of Dedication in the New Testament and has become the holiday of Hanukkah today.

Ultimately, the Jews won their independence in 128 B.C. Judea became an independent state ruled by the Hasmonean family, whose leader also served as high priest. Interestingly, however, the Hasmonean high priests became increasingly Hellenistic. This was opposed by the spiritual descendants of the Hasidim, who became known as the Pharisees. The aristocratic Zadokites became the Sadducees, who were opposed to the Pharisees. The Sadducees were mainly composed of wealthy priests and the Jewish aristocracy. Christ proved himself opposed both to the narrow-spirited orthodoxy of the overly religious Pharisees and to the Sadducees and their preoccupation with worldly wealth. The Sadducees maintained control of the temple until the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D., and the High Priest was always a Sadducee.

The Intertestamental Period saw the division of the Jewish faith into four sects: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Zealots, and the Essenes. Although the first two groups play the most prominent role in the Gospels, all four were significantly influential in these narratives.

Another group that significantly influenced the teachings of Christ was the Samaritans. Battle (n.d.) notes that there was a longstanding rift between the inhabitants of Judah and Samaria throughout the Persian period. The conflict began under Zerubbabel and continued under Ezra and Nehemiah. The Samaritans built their own temple to Yahweh on Mt. Gerizim in the fourth century B.C.